The Heirs of Haeron

The End of the Peaceful Years

The peace that followed the War of the Ring lasted but a few years; for the enemies of the Faithful were yet numerous and a fierce hatred of the West burned ever in their hearts. By the spring of the 27th year of the the Fourth Age, hitherto dormant bands of orcs had begun to raid the villages on the eastern border of Ithilien. In the East, a powerful warlord had reunited many Easterling tribes and was now said to be preparing to march against the allies of the Faithful in the North. And in the South, the men of Harad, who yet lay claim to the land of South Gondor, had begun to threaten the new Gondorian settlements on the southern bank of the River Poros.

In early summer, King Elessar decreed that a military unit be established to go after the orcs and appointed Captain Hérion of Cair Andros to lead this force, which was to be comprised of newly recruited men from all regions of Gondor. Following that the King turned his attention to the conflict in South Gondor, which some called Harondor, and after taking counsel with the captains of the realm, he decided to push the Southrons away from the banks of the Poros. To carry out this task, he directed Elboron son of Faramir to lead an expeditionary force south and engage the Haradrim.

Meanwhile back in Calembel, the son of Aldanur had now come into adulthood. Unlike those around him, the young man was tall and of noble bearing, in the vein of the Men of the West; but despite his appearance, he had no inkling of his heritage and considered himself in every way an ordinary villager. For Aldanur spoke not to him of the past and showed naught but disdain for the affairs of the crown.

Now a few weeks after his eighteenth birthday, on the eve of Sauron's Fall Day, Thelron became involved in an argument with a man who accused his father of having served the Dark Lord in the past. The claims greatly angered the young man, who unable to rein in his rage, launched himself at his opponent and smote him with great force, nearly causing his death. To avoid the dungeons, the town official offered Thelron the option of joining a company of new recruits from Lamedon that was to go east to help eradicate the orcs that hid in the Mountains of Shadow. This the son of Aldanur accepted, knowing not that his chosen path was but a vehicle that would, long years thence, take him to meet the fate foretold by an elf-lord many years before on the shores of Belfalas.

When Thelron told Aldanur of his decision, the older man seemed displeased. "Do what you must," he said curtly.

The Northerner's reply upset the young man. "At least I'll be fighting to defend the realm," said Thelron, "and unlike you, I'll have some purpose in my life."

At that point Aldanur stopped what he was doing and turned to look at his son. "One day," he said in a harsh tone, "you will learn the true purpose of the House of Haeron," and walked away.

Thelron was astounded by his father's remark. He could not recall hearing Aldanur ever show interest in aught beyond his small plot of land, and to hear him speak now of blood lineages and grand purposes left him bewildered. For the young man knew naught of the sacred treasure in his family's keep, nor could he have imagined the solemn vow made by his forefather to a monarch long ere his time, in days of turmoil untold.

In the years that followed, despite his headstrong character, the young Lamedonian rose quickly through the ranks of the orc hunting force; for he was a superb fighter and a strong leader, and the commanding officer soon took a keen interest in the young soldier. In the year Fo.A. 33, following the death of one of the three captains under his charge, Commander Hérion summoned Thelron to his office and told him that he had been chosen to replace the fallen officer as new captain of the force. After that he instructed the young man to concentrate his efforts on the southern half of the mountain range, where to date little progress against the orcs had been made.

Without delay, Thelron led his men deep into the mountains, and over the next two and a half years, one after another, each of the orc bases in the region fell to his sword and was laid waste. The surviving orcs soon fled towards the east in fear, and the southern half of the range was a concern no more. The speed and effectiveness of the campaign led by the new captain impressed Hérion, who asked the young man to come to headquarters. "We are extremely pleased with your work captain, even the prince has said as much," said the commander. "I want you to know that your record has been cleared and you are now free to do as you like; but I would like to encourage you to stay with us, for there is still important work to be done, and we could certainly use one with your skills."